San Francisco's 2nd Annual Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival came to a close last night. Unlike last year, where I attended the entire three-day festival, this time around I chose to save some cash and go to Sunday only. For the most part, it was yet another great day in Golden Gate Park.
Like any large festival, it is easy to trick yourself into thinking you will somehow manage to see ALL of the artists that you planned to, even though they are spaced out over 6 stages with thousands of people obstructing your path. OL'09 was no different. I was hoping/planning to catch: Atmosphere, Robert Randolph, Modest Mouse, Ween, Band of Horses, M.I.A., and the Beastie Boys Tenacious D.
However, when it came down to game time, we somehow managed to see just about everyone: Atmosphere, Matt & Kim (more like hear them from the beverage line), Modest Mouse, Ween, Band of Horses, M.I.A., and Tenacious D. (A pretty successful festival venture, if you as me.)
As for the highlights: the first half of Atmosphere's set was solid; Modest Mouse was alright, but @ times they were a bit too angsty for the amped up crowd; Ween decided to quit 30 minutes early, thus preventing us from seeing any of their set; Band of Horses sounded pretty good, well, as good as they could from the wooded path above their stage; M.I.A. easily put on the best overall show, complete with dancers, visual effects, a few shout-outs to the Beastie Boys (see videos below), and incredibly interesting beats; and finally, Tenacious D was just plain silly.
Generally speaking, the Festival was pretty much identical to last year (mostly a good thing). There were plenty of food and beverage vendors, lots of port-o-johns, and a generally relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere across the Polo Grounds (as opposed to last year's severe overcrowding during Radiohead's Friday night performance). While I wasn't nearly as excited about this year's lineup, I am happy to report (especially since it is a 20 minute walk from my apt.) that San Francisco's Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival looks like it is here to stay. Until next year...

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